Consumer Reports top-rated cars

Toyota’s ability to maintain its competitive lead among hybrids and SUVs is a big factor in its strong presence on this year’s list. But another factor is today’s weaker minivan field. The current Sienna scored lower in our tests than its predecessor, but the front-wheel-drive version is the only minivan that didn’t have below-average reliability in our latest survey. So it’s the only minivan we recommend.

Our Top Picks are the best all-around models in their categories, chosen from the more than 260 vehicles we’ve recently tested. For car shoppers, they are a great place to start. To find out how other models stack up, see our ratings in our model overviews.

Top Picks must meet our criteria in three areas:

Road test. Each must rank at or near the top of its category in overall test score.

Reliability. Each must have earned an average or better predicted-reliability Rating, based on the problems Consumer Reports subscribers reported on 1.3 million vehicles in our latest Annual Auto Survey.

Safety. Top Picks must perform well if included in crash or rollover tests conducted by the government or the insurance industry.